Dallas QB Tony Romo: 'I could play a game right now if I had to'

Tony Romo injured his back in a 24-23 win over Washington in Week 16, and he didn't play the next week. (Greg Nelson/SI)

In Dallas Cowboys camp this summer, all eyes will be on the recovering back of starting quarterback Tony Romo. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't argue that a good portion of the team's success relies on that recovery from surgery to repair a herniated disc in December.

So far, most of the reports have been positive, however if you ask Romo about the recovery, you would figure that he's way ahead of his schedule as he recently said he could play a game right now if he had to.

"I think earlier on, right after surgery, you kind of go through that mode of getting healthy -- kind of having to not do too much right away," Romo told the team's official website. "But now I'm to a point where you can push it and kind of go, and I feel like at this point I could play in a game if I had to."

Despite the confidence, there are a lot of worries about how well Romo, 34, could actually perform this season following such a serious procedure.

No matter what happens, though, Romo doesn't seem as if he regrets anything.

"You basically give up your body, in some ways, to play the game. It's a great joy to be able to play this game for a living," he said. "When you're done, and I'm done with the Cowboys, like I've said before, I'll have given my back and some ribs through that time. But it's been a great joy."

Romo has said before that he looks to be 100% when training camp starts in July, and if these comments are any indication, that shouldn't be a problem.